Toronto Trying to Force Green Roofs – Could Your City be Next?

Toronto Trying to Force Green Roofs – Could Your City be Next?

North of the border a controversy is starting to gain steam in the nation’s largest city, Toronto. The city has proposed a by-law that would make ‘green roofs’ mandatory in new construction of condos higher than 7 storeys and office or retail complexes greater than 54,000 square feet (about 1/4 of a Wal-Mart Supercenter). The proposed law would require 30-60% of the surface area of buildings’ roofs to be green (depending on the size of the building) and violators would be subject to fines up to $100,000.

A green roof is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil that has been planted over a waterproof layer on top of the standard roof of a building. The benefits of these roofs are many, including reduced storm water runoff, reduced noise pollution, and increased longevity of the roof by protecting it from natural elements.

Green roofs are also getting attention in this era of greenhouse gas mitigation because of their potential to reduce energy use. The layer of soil and vegetation above the traditional roof provides an additional layer of insulation that reduces cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. Green roofs also reduce the severity of the urban heat island, which is the increase of city temperatures by several degrees over surrounding rural areas. A reduction of the heat island effect means a cooler city and less energy used for air conditioning.

via Toronto Trying to Force Green Roofs – Could Your City be Next? : Red, Green, and Blue.